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dragonlady7via http://ift.tt/2odizRS:
icantbearsedtothinkofone:
So I have two evenings in new york accounted for, but I should probably figure out what to do for the rest of the week.
My knowledge of the place amounts to ‘there is a park, it appears to be quite large’.
My initial reaction is that this is a Fan Activity and therefore I should try to accumulate 4+ people, designate a landmark in the park and a time and arrange for us to meet there for a picnic lunch and some fannish nattering, because that’s what I’d do in London, but I think there’s only three of us going that week and I know how to find lost people in London parks.
So anyway what are the must-see things in New York and what’s the best way to get around?
So. I lived near New York for a number of years, but it was some time ago, so I’m by no means an expert, but here’s a starting point.
#1 NYC has the best public transit in the US. It’s the MTA, and here is their website. They have comprehensive subway and bus service throughout the city. Fifteen years ago, when I lived there, you could just pick up a pamphlet called The Map from any subway station, and it had a route map of the entire city. I don’t know if you can still get it in print, but I’m sure it’s posted many places. Meanwhile, that website has route information for both subways and buses. I’ve taken a cab in NYC precisely once in my life, because I had luggage and it was 2 in the morning. Other than that, you get yourself a fare card from one of the machines, and you’re good to go. (They offer either flat-fee for the weekend kind of ones, or pay per trip ones; I’m sure there’s more info on the website. They’re incredibly easy to use but not as cool as Oyster cards.)
#2 if I were in NYC my jam is museums so I would probably hit the Museum of Natural History (because I love dinosaurs) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, both of which are located up near Central Park. There are also an unreal number of specialty museums that may be more tailored to your specific interests; I just made many pilgrimages to those two as a youngling, and am fond of their contents. The other big thing I miss about NYC is food, but restaurants are ever-changing, so someone with more current knowledge will need to chime in.
#3 There are actually a shitload of parks in NYC, including many many on the island of Manhattan; Central Park is enormous and pretty and has stuff in it and many views you will recognize from movies, but in terms of meetups, you may actually want to pick something closer to the neighborhood you’d be in. (I know Hamlet is at the Public Theater, which is really close to Washington Square Park, which is a perfectly lovely meetup spot.) Or, you know, you want to get out, pick something cool to see, explore a little, that’s valid too. The Island of Manhattan is relatively small and arranged as a grid, so it’s incredibly easy to get around it and orient yourself.
icantbearsedtothinkofone:
So I have two evenings in new york accounted for, but I should probably figure out what to do for the rest of the week.
My knowledge of the place amounts to ‘there is a park, it appears to be quite large’.
My initial reaction is that this is a Fan Activity and therefore I should try to accumulate 4+ people, designate a landmark in the park and a time and arrange for us to meet there for a picnic lunch and some fannish nattering, because that’s what I’d do in London, but I think there’s only three of us going that week and I know how to find lost people in London parks.
So anyway what are the must-see things in New York and what’s the best way to get around?
So. I lived near New York for a number of years, but it was some time ago, so I’m by no means an expert, but here’s a starting point.
#1 NYC has the best public transit in the US. It’s the MTA, and here is their website. They have comprehensive subway and bus service throughout the city. Fifteen years ago, when I lived there, you could just pick up a pamphlet called The Map from any subway station, and it had a route map of the entire city. I don’t know if you can still get it in print, but I’m sure it’s posted many places. Meanwhile, that website has route information for both subways and buses. I’ve taken a cab in NYC precisely once in my life, because I had luggage and it was 2 in the morning. Other than that, you get yourself a fare card from one of the machines, and you’re good to go. (They offer either flat-fee for the weekend kind of ones, or pay per trip ones; I’m sure there’s more info on the website. They’re incredibly easy to use but not as cool as Oyster cards.)
#2 if I were in NYC my jam is museums so I would probably hit the Museum of Natural History (because I love dinosaurs) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, both of which are located up near Central Park. There are also an unreal number of specialty museums that may be more tailored to your specific interests; I just made many pilgrimages to those two as a youngling, and am fond of their contents. The other big thing I miss about NYC is food, but restaurants are ever-changing, so someone with more current knowledge will need to chime in.
#3 There are actually a shitload of parks in NYC, including many many on the island of Manhattan; Central Park is enormous and pretty and has stuff in it and many views you will recognize from movies, but in terms of meetups, you may actually want to pick something closer to the neighborhood you’d be in. (I know Hamlet is at the Public Theater, which is really close to Washington Square Park, which is a perfectly lovely meetup spot.) Or, you know, you want to get out, pick something cool to see, explore a little, that’s valid too. The Island of Manhattan is relatively small and arranged as a grid, so it’s incredibly easy to get around it and orient yourself.
